Naming presidential candidate: JD(U) blames it on Congress dilly-dally

NEW DELHI: The decision to support BJP-led NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind was not an easy one for JD (U) but it was left with no choice as Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s candidate was not acceptable to the Congress. The main opposition party made matters worse by not declaring its candidate before BJP.

Sources said Nitish Kumar had suggested at the gathering of opposition parties in Chennai for the birthday celebrations of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on June 3 that Gopal Krishna Gandhi be fielded as the joint opposition candidate for the post of president. DMK leader M K Stalin had expressed his support to this suggestion.

Gandhi has all along been the first choice of CPM as well as Trinamool Congress. However, Congress did not agree to Gopal Krishna Gandhi’s name.What made matters worse was the dilly-dallying by Congress in naming a candidate. The Opposition waited for BJP to name its candidate first.

This tested the nerve of JD (U), which had actually taken the lead in getting the Opposition to talk of a joint candidate for presidential elections. With BJP announcing Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit leader and Governor of Bihar as the candidate, Nitish Kumar took the decision to support him. However, JD(U) refused to sign as a proposer or seconder for Kovind's nomination and also kept away when he filed his nomination papers.

Asked why his party is supporting Kovind and not Congress leader Meira Kumar, who is a Dalit leader from Bihar and the Opposition nominee, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said, “We are supporting Kovind due to his conduct as the Governor of Bihar. He has been a non-controversial governor. He did not object to the appointment of vice-chancellors of universities and accepted the list sent by the government.”